FIU announces 2014-2015 Foundation Board officers

The Florida International University Foundation Board of Directors has appointed five new officers, including Thomas M. Cornish, Richard Brilliant, Kathryn G. Chase, Adalio T. Sanchez and Carlos B. Castillo.

“Having these distinguished individuals lead our Foundation Board is an honor,” said Howard Lipman, CEO of the FIU Foundation Inc. and senior vice president for University Advancement. “The team brings extensive business acumen, experience and knowledge to each officer position which in turn will benefit FIU and our entire surrounding community.”

Thomas M. Cornish, chairman, is a 1985 graduate of FIU’s College of Business. He currently serves as the president of Florida for BankUnited. Previously he served as president and CEO for the Florida region of Marsh & McLennan Agency, the largest public company in the world in the insurance brokerage industry. Prior to that, Cornish worked for SunTrust Bank in a variety of senior leadership roles from 1983-2003.

Cornish is also active in civic and philanthropic endeavors in South Florida. He has served as the board chair for the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, is a past chair of the Beacon Council, and has held various positions on the board of the FIU Foundation. He is also on the board of directors for Camillus House and serves on the Orange Bowl Committee.

Richard Brilliant, vice chair, began his career with Kenneth Leventhal & Company before joining Carnival Corporation & plc in 1994. In his current role as chief audit officer, Brilliant manages an international team of approximately 100 professionals and reports directly to the Board of Directors on the design and effectiveness business processes that govern financial, operational, and strategic risks. In 2012, Brilliant’s responsibilities were increased to include auditing of health, environmental, safety, and security risks for the corporation’s nine cruise brands.

Brilliant also participates in the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-to-Work mentoring program, and continues to participate in several service-day events benefiting organizations that assist the disadvantaged in the Miami area. He graduated from FIU in 1993 with a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management.

Kathryn G. Chase, vice chair, transitioned into the financial services industry in 1992, joining Citibank as a Citigold executive responsible for meeting the investment, lending and deposit needs of a portfolio of financially sophisticated clients. She joined First Union National Bank in 1996 as a financial sales leader, where she was recognized as a top performer.

Chase re-joined Citibank in June 2011 as the regional president of the Consumer Bank for the eastern region. She is responsible for implementing Citi’s service and sales strategy for all Citibank branches from Boston to Miami, as well as guiding the DeNovo strategy in those markets. In addition to her role as regional president, Chase also serves as national small business segment head. She currently resides in New York and South Florida.

Adalio T. Sanchez, treasurer, earned an MBA from FIU in 1987. He serves as senior vice president of enterprise systems at Lenovo Ltd. In this role, Sanchez is responsible for all facets of Lenovo’s enterprise server and storage systems business including product development, marketing, sales, operations, and overall financial performance. He is also a member of Lenovo’s executive committee, a board of its most senior leaders. Prior to this role, Sanchez spent 32 years at IBM and ran numerous multibillion dollar business divisions for the company. He has broad experience in the information technology marketplace with an extensive background in product development, manufacturing, operations and brand management.

Sanchez was named the 2007 Hispanic Engineer of the Year and has frequently been named to the list of the nation’s Top 50 Hispanics in technology and business. He is active in STEM related efforts across the nation and is on the management committee of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Carlos B. Castillo, secretary, is currently a partner at Ring Bender McKown & Castillo LLLP. Castillo’s areas of practice include general and complex commercial litigation in Florida state, federal and appellate courts, as well as the courts of other jurisdictions. He has more than 22 years of experience in business related litigation, including contractual and partnership disputes, real estate and construction, lender liability, securities, and distributor and dealer litigation.

Previously, Castillo was a partner at DiBello, Lopez & Castillo P.A. for nearly nine years. He also served as an assistant United States attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office in Miami, and was a senior litigation attorney with the international law firm of White & Case, LLP, for more than 10 years. He is a 1988 graduate of FIU.

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About FIU Foundation, Inc.

The Florida International University Foundation, Inc. (FIU Foundation) was established in 1969 to encourage, solicit, receive and administer gifts for scientific, educational and charitable purposes for the advancement of Florida International University and its objectives. (more +)

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